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Parents' Guide to

Kickboxer: Vengeance

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Awful, awkward martial arts remake is very violent.

Movie NR 2016 90 minutes
Kickboxer: Vengeance Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

Moive lover 1
Moive lover 1 Adult
December 30, 2018
age 17+

Terrible

I grew up loving B movies like Kickboxer. Yup I was martial art movie fan. Anyway kickboxer vengeance was just crap for two reasons one, it's a remake that is over 20 years old there is no originality. Two, it was just a terrible remake. The acting was....lousy period. The only difference was the older brother dying as opposed to being paralyzed. I am so tired of the constant remake of everything. get some new material.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

A remake of the original 1989 Kickboxer, KICKBOXER: VENGEANCE centers on Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi), who's managing his martial arts-champ brother, Eric (Darren Shahlavi). When an offer comes in for Eric to fight an underground match against the scary, mountain-sized Tong Po (Dave Bautista, Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy), Kurt balks -- but Eric goes ahead and is killed in the ring. After a failed attempt to get revenge, Kurt finds himself in the presence of his brother's trainer, Master Durand (Jean-Claude Van Damme, who played Kurt in the original). Now Kurt must overcome his own ego and fear before he can face the fearsome Tong Po -- and survive.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The original Kickboxer might have been cheesy, but it also had Van Damme's star power; the chronically uninteresting hero of this awful remake can't even get close to him. As Sloane, Moussi seems slow and clumsy, though this is perhaps not helped by John Stockwell's clunky direction. No matter how many training montages Kickboxer: Vengeance has -- and there are quite a few -- Sloane never seems to get any better.

When Sloane finally fights Tong Po, no amount of scriptwriting or choreography can make it look like Sloane is winning -- and when he finally turns the tables, it seems like cheating (Tong Po could have, and should have, won). Moreover, Sloane's shallow romance with a cop (Sara Malakul Lane) feels completely tacked-on. And real-life mixed-martial artist Gina Carano has a role but doesn't actually get to fight! Van Damme even looks a bit sheepish in his role, wearing sunglasses and a Panama hat in nearly every shot.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Kickboxer: Vengeance. Do you admire any of the martial arts skills on display? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Is there any motivation in the movie besides revenge? Do any of the characters learn anything? Are there consequences?

  • What do you think is the appeal of martial arts movies in general? Van Damme movies in particular? How does this one compare to the original Kickboxer?

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